idyllic routine
by Juleezy
Summary: They always sat together, but they'd never talk. Bus rides were never so complicated. [AU; Cloti, oneshot - so close yet so far.]


**A/N: **I don't know why, but this just came up. Didn't think I'd write the concept of so close yet so far this way, haha. I always fancied shy!Cloud.

**_i_dyllic routine**

His trusty motorcycle is completely broken and annihilated after an accident gone wrong, and he has no job or money to pay for it. He hates the bus.

But he needs some sort of transportation; and his mom is always busy and uses her car, so he's destined to take the awfully infected and grimy public vehicle. He had to learn to love it though since he would have to use it to go to and from college, and no way in hell was his mom going to let him drop out.

He's waiting in line to get to college early, and he's not surprised that he sees other adolescents and adults around his age either. He walks onto the bus and picks a seat in the very middle on the right, choosing the window seat. There's one more spot open next to him, and he hopes that he doesn't get someone with undesirable habits and qualities.

This time he is surprised.

An unnamed beauty decides to sit next to him, and he looks out the window right away, fearing that she would leave after picking out his flaws. He wonders why she doesn't get her boyfriend – _if_ she has one, and he _hopes_ that she doesn't – to drive her or her parents or her friends or maybe even herself. He stays quiet though and so does she, preferring to tap at the buttons on her phone.

The bus slows down and opens the door, signaling a stop. They leave the bus and part separate ways.

**ooo**

It's around 5 PM, and he goes to the same bus stop. His classes for the day is over, and he's already had lunch and worked out at a nearby gym. He's pleasantly surprised to see her again too, one of the few students that came back for a cheap ride home.

They're sitting in the exact same seats, and they resort back to how they were in the morning, her on her phone and him looking out the window. It's silent, and the sky is gradually darkening.

The bus signals a stop, and it's his. His hands start to sweat, and his mouth is suddenly dry. He clears his throat and coughs to alert her to move out of his way. She looks at him with wide eyes and quickly utters out apologies under her breath that he can't quite hear, stepping out to allow him through. He leaves the bus and walks onto the sidewalk, turning around to see her face once more.

**ooo**

It's well into the school year, and the two of them have not changed. They sit next to each other in the morning and in the evening, and they still do not talk. They have never been introduced, so he nicknames her the "Bus Beauty."

He knows that it sounds terrible; but it's the best that he can do since he knows nothing more about her. He thinks that's quite a shame and contemplates bringing up a conversation, but he quickly remembers how socially awkward he is. He changes his mind.

He practices his answers and introductions just in case he or she decides to chat. He even practices in front of a mirror just to make sure he doesn't look like an idiot when he talks or sees her too.

**ooo**

One morning, he notices that she is smiling quite brightly and excessively, and he's a little envious of the person that had caused her to be so happy. She is always giggling when she receives texts from a certain person, wiggling anxiously in her seat.

He doesn't know when his eyes decided to focus discretely onto her instead of the boring scenery through the windows. Her eyes are too busy being glued to her cell phone's screen for her to notice him anyway.

If he had introduced himself on the very first day they met, he wonders if he would be the one to cause such a reaction but quickly remembers that he is not good enough for a girl like her.

It's their stop; and when he walks out, he knows why she had reacted in such a way. There's an unfamiliar man waiting for her outside, immediately receiving a hug and kiss when she practically runs out. Bus Beauty's boyfriend is tall, dark, and handsome, and he looks at himself and notices that he is short, pale, and average.

He does not see her on his ride home.

**ooo**

He meets a girl with the most brilliant green eyes he had ever seen, but chocolate browns come up into his brain instead.

She randomly comes up to him on campus and introduces herself, explaining that she had been intrigued by him ever since she had spotted him. There is no shame but confidence instead.

They talk, and he surprisingly gets along with her even if he didn't like speaking nor particularly attracted the opposite sex – especially _attractive _ones. She gives him her number and departs with a friendly hug, and he wonders if this is all a prank.

He decides to throw away the slip of pink paper, but he remembers the Bus Beauty and her boyfriend and changes his mind.

He picks up the phone and calls the number.

**ooo**

Bus Beauty and her boyfriend are still together, and he's used to seeing their PDA when he exits the bus. It makes him a little jealous, but he has no right to be since she was never his.

Sometimes he wonders what it would be like if he was her friend. Sometimes he wonders what it would be like if he was her boyfriend.

His fear of rejection reminds him why he isn't either of those.

On the other hand, he's been having lunch with Aerith – the girl who had given him her number. They decided to stay friends, and they both mutually respected that. He decides to finally talk about Bus Beauty today, and she laughs when she hears the ridiculous name.

He shrugs and tells her that he doesn't know Bus Beauty's name, and she exclaims and demands to know everything about his crush. He tells her that Bus Beauty's eyes remind him of a rich chocolate, that her skin is pale and flawless, that she has quite a killer body, and even proceeds to describe her boyfriend.

Aerith drops her jaw and nearly yells out that he is talking about Tifa Lockhart and Zack Fair, and he merely shrugs again. She tells him that she is friends with the both of them and that she is willing to answer any of his questions but do nothing more.

He finds out that _Tifa_ – he likes the way her name rolls off his tongue – is a beauty with brains and knew martial arts, yet she is also known for being a friendly and generous girl. However, having a dead mom and sick dad had made her struggle financially, but she does not complain. Because of that, she is stubborn and a fighter, refusing to take anything from anyone.

She is more interesting, and this new image of her fascinates him even more.

Too bad she is not his to take.

**ooo**

It's another morning, and he notices that Tifa isn't her usual happy self. He wonders if something happened between her and Zack, and he feels guilty when a small part of him is a little hopeful at that thought. Though, something else could easily be the problem whether it be concerning her friends, family, or school.

She slumps in her seat and tries to sleep instead of playing with her phone. He desperately wants to talk to her and ask her what's wrong, but the air is full of silence and regret. The ride isn't as secretly pleasant as it usually was.

They get off at their usual stop, and he notices that Zack isn't there.

They part separate ways, and he turns around to see her again before shaking his head and moving onwards with his hands in his pockets.

**ooo**

He's at the stop for his ride home and sees her, but her mood remains the same. Maybe even worse.

He had lunch with Aerith again today. He told her that something was wrong with Tifa this morning, and she nodded grimly. She said that they had gotten into a nasty fight because Tifa suspected Zack of cheating or getting too close with some girl named Cissnei.

He wondered why Zack would be stupid enough to risk losing someone as great as Tifa. He'd never let her go if she was his.

But he inwardly shakes his head and focuses his train of thought onto his current situation. They're both in line - him and Tifa - waiting for the people ahead of them to enter the bus. He's right behind her, and he's contemplating whether or not he should say or do something, _anything_.

He does.

He takes a shaky hand and places it onto her shoulder, and she turns around to stare at him with melting chocolate eyes. He leans down a bit and licks his somewhat chapped lips, the words struggling to crawl out of his mouth. "You're perfect. Don't let anyone tell you less."

She stares at him for a bit, possibly startled, and he would be too if some stranger with the creepiest blue eyes and weird set of gravity defying blond hair spoke to him.

There's a nasty churn in his stomach.

But she _smiles_, and she_ radiates_. She never looked more beautiful – hair in disarray, eyes red and puffy, nose irritated and pink, and sweat pants galore, but she suddenly has this glittering twinkle in her eye and sweet shyness in her smile that makes his heart leap and soar.

They enter the bus and sit together as usual.

**.**

**.**

**.**

_Hi, I'm Tifa._

**.**

**.**

**.**

_I'm... **Cloud**._


End file.
